Birmingham paramedic to teach first aid in India

A Birmingham paramedic will be heading to India in September to teach vital life-saving skills to school children.

Erdington-based Paramedic Sam Grimson, 24 from Birmingham, has worked for the Trust for two years. He will be joining a group of paramedics from other ambulance services to visit some of the most deprived areas of India to teach Basic First Aid skills and CPR in schools.

Sam said: “Education like this isn’t provided in India due to a lack of clinical staff and money. With no ambulance service or National Health Service, basic medical treatment in hospitals is expensive and, for some, they simply cannot afford it.

“We’ll be teaching children and teachers some of the basics like how to treat burns, minor injuries, deal with choking as well as how to do CPR when someone’s in cardiac arrest. It’s hoped that by teaching youngsters and teachers they’ll then be able to pass on their new skills to their local community.

“We want to stop people being affected by preventable injuries and illnesses and allow children to focus on their education. The more money we raise, the more schools we can visit and the greater the difference we can make.”

Sam embarks on his journey on Tuesday 29th September with the team’s first destinations planned to be Delhi and then Jamshedpur.

You can watch a video of Sam explaining why he’s taking part via www.fundrazr.com/campaigns/3uls1 where you can also donate to support the project. Sam will also be uploading regular updates from India via this website so keep your eyes peeled!